


Look What You Made Me Do

by 127ghouls



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Character Death, Death Note AU, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 01:42:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16844599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/127ghouls/pseuds/127ghouls
Summary: He's tired of injustice. He's tired of the maltreatment. He's tired of suffering. He's tired of not having the voice, the power.Taeyong picks up the Death Note and vows to clear the world of pain and evil, one by one.





	Look What You Made Me Do

**Author's Note:**

> i finally got this one down. don't mind my poor english and writing skills lmao i'm dumb

Agony.  
  
It's the perfect word to describe the pain inflicted on his body as three boys significantly bigger than him rain merciless punches on his frail form. Taeyong is left with nothing to do but cower as he curls up in a ball on the ground, forearms covering his head to block the assaults.  
  
Fists pound on him, pummeling him until he breaks into a hundred pieces. Bruises already start forming on the parts of his body visible to the naked eye. They attack his arms, his torso, his legs. Taeyong bites back all of the cries of pain, not wanting to give his bullies the satisfaction of knowing that he's hurting.  
  
He winces once but he does not call for help. People walk past them, students of different grades and school personnels that have no power against the people with high positions remain mum, feigning blindness on Taeyong's misery.  
  
Still, he does not let anything get to him. Not the laughter of his bullies, not the punches, not the insults thrown his way and not the indifference of strangers. The world is rotten.  
  
The evil preys on the weak. But Taeyong is not weak.  
  
But is being different from the social spectrum enough to pass judgement on his head, and let them treat him the way they do?  
  
He doesn't register when the punches and kicks stopped. By then, his musings halt and Taeyong lies on the ground dirty and almost beaten to a pulp, staring at the blue sky. The questions in his mind don't come to him again.  
  
The bullies leave and he's helpless. No one will give him a hand for whoever pities him will be dragged into the mess. Taeyong is a pawn in a game they ought to play. Not everyone knows how to play.  
  
  
  
  
  
Pans and ladel clink indistinctly in the background. Taeyong sits idly at the table, a bag of ice pressed gently on the side of his face to nurse his wounds. They aren't serious, just a few shallow scratches. His ribcage hurts the most.  
  
"It's almost done,"  
  
His mother turns the stove off and pours the soup she made in a bowl. Steam rises into the air as the food finds its place in front of Taeyong and a wooden spoon is set next to it.  
  
She takes the seat next to him. Taeyong frowns, triggering his facial wounds to sting even more from the minimal movement. His mother's stare irks him so he scoops a spoonful of soup and eats, trying to distract himself.  
  
A smile blooms on her wrinkled face. "Finish that and you can go to bed."  
  
She mindlessly pats his shoulder, having forgotten that he's injured. Taeyong manages to bite his tongue. The slick appendage flat against the roof of his mouth, its tip touching the back of his front teeth.  
  
Once he's alone, the quietness of the house settles back. Not a single noise lingers to somehow fake a lively atmosphere. It's a painful reminder that there are only two people occupying the small apartment, lacking of one member in a supposedly perfectly functional family.  
  
Taeyong stands abruptly once he's done eating, eager to leave the deafening silence of what was once a soothing haven. The feet of the chair scrape loudly against the concrete in an ugly shriek. He dumps the bowl and spoon in the sink before heading upstairs, not sparing a single glance over the figure sitting despondently in the sofa.  
  
She never asks why. She never asks anything, ever since the head of the family left after a horrific accident.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
After making sure that the door's locked, Taeyong finds himself seated by the study desk with a pen twirling in his fingers. He knows his mother won't bother him.  
  
He puts the bag of ice down before taking out a black notebook from the secret compartment he made in his drawer. No one goes inside his room except from him. Not even his mother. But it doesn't hurt to take extra careful measures. Besides, what could he even say if she did find out? Would she easily believe through a flurry of lies?  
  
The occult-esque writing on the rough cover burns the pads of his fingers. It's been quite some time since the day he picked it up from the grassy field at school where it lay ignored. Taeyong supposes it's the best day of his life.  
  
' _Death Note_ ', it reads. At first, Taeyong thought it was a prank. He read the rules. They were too detailed to be a mere joke. They were too intricate for him to doubt if it was even remotely functional. He prepared for bed, set to sleep and forget.  
  
It gnawed his brain for several hours until the need to know clawed his insides to the point he physically hurt. Taeyong stared, hoping that it wasn't a nightmare.  
  
But there was only one way to find out.  
  
His heart had raced miles in his throat and his hand shook as his pen scraped against the smooth surface of the paper. Someone's face flashed in his head. It was a kid who used to call him namesㅡabusive names under the sun solely created for a fatherless boy like him.  
  
40 seconds passed. The numbers counted down in his head. It was silent. It was eerily silent. The notebook was a joke. Taeyong wordlessly grabbed it, about to toss it in the trash untilㅡ  
  
A shrill scream sounded from the house in front of theirs. Taeyong ran to his window, hurling the curtain aside to watch the people inside that house frantically try to do everythingㅡcall an ambulance, call another family member, and...  
  
...shake the lifeless body lying on the floor.  
  
When he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, Taeyong listened to the loud blaring of the ambulance's siren and the cries of the dead's family.  
  
Johnny was dead. The Death Note worked.  
  
Taeyong smiled.  
  
The memories of his first killing stop. Eagerly opening the notebook to the same page where a few names were already scribbled, Taeyong thinks of the face of his bullies earlier. Three of them. Three of them will leave the face of the Earth tonight.  
  
The sound of the pen scratching on the paper is music to his ears. They are finally going to pay for it. He has ran out of patience. He has ran out of forgiveness.  
  
His body screams at him when he's done, a reminder of what had happened earlier. This time, Taeyong planned out their deaths in an unsuspicious manner. Yuta will go out to buy something at the store and get robbed. Taeil will be driving his motorcycle and lose control. Lastly, Lucas will get in a fight with his parents, rebel and jump off of their rooftop.  
  
Such sceneries, such beautiful sceneries. Taeyong wishes he was there to witness everything. All of the deaths will happen at the same time.  
  
"Imagine," he murmurs to no one as the seconds ticked by. "Imagine staring death in the eyes. Imagine being so powerless. Imagine," Taeyong closes the notebook and puts it back in the secret compartment before pressing the ice pack against his cheek. "Imagine being the words you called me, only to die in the hands of the weak."  
  
"But I'm not weak," Taeyong stands and stops in front of a full length mirror next to the closet. The bruises glare at him.  
  
"I'll watch all of you beg on your knees for my mercy, cry until you bleed, scream until you can't."  
  
  
  
  
  
The news spreads like wildfire. Everyone talked and gossiped when Taeyong reached the gates of the school. Like what he expected, they didn't pay attention on him. He's a nobody, and the deaths of the school's richest students are far more important than his existence.  
  
They mourn. Throughout the lectures, Taeyong watches the gray clouds loom over the heads of his classmates. Even the teachers lose focus every now and then and he even caught one surreptitiously wiping at the corner of their eye. Must be a tear of sympathy.  
  
Taeyong scoffs as silently as he can. Why are they crying as though those people held any significant roles in their lives? These students are pathetic. People love to act like they know someone and offer their unneeded condolences to a friendship they only had in their social climbing brains.  
  
It's fine. Things will be fine. Three of them were wiped off just like that. And more will come. Taeyong seems to be hated by a lot of them because he's different. Again, is it his fault?  
  
Of course not. Taeyong didn't ask for this. But Taeyong has the upperhand, the power to pass judgement.  
  
Time runs slow that day. Classes are dismissed early as they realized they were too emotional to function. Grief curtains the whole school. Taeyong exits his last class for the day, the strap of his bag hanging loosely on his shoulder.  
  
No one looks at him as he walks out, heading straight to the gates. They will not notice him while they cry. They will not know anything.  
  
"Excuse me,"  
  
Taeyong continues to walk, unmindful of his surroundings. No one notices him. No one cares about him.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
He stops and turns to face the source of the voice. There under the shade of the tree stands a student looking at him expectantly.  
  
_Him_? Someone's looking at him? Improbable, but not impossible. Though why?  
  
The student looks around before approaching Taeyong with trepidation. His eyes are cast downward and he appears to be shy. Taeyong raises a brow. And he really shouldn't have as it stings like a bitch, the wound still fresh.  
  
"What." He presses.  
  
The boy purses his lips but doesn't talk, only glancing at Taeyong before looking down again.  
  
Irritation surges in him. Time is being wasted. He has more pressing matters to deal with at homeㅡlike doing a general cleaning in his room. "I need you to use your words, dumbass."  
  
See, this is also why he naturally gets into trouble. He just can't keep his mouth shut when his filter doesn't work. It effectively puts the boy's attention on him, though. Taeyong notes the other shaking like a leaf. It's not too obvious but he sees it.  
  
"I've seen you get beat up by those guys a few days ago. They were attacking me, verballyㅡthey used to come for me, too." The boy's voice breaks at the end and Taeyong swears the other's about to cry.  
  
He scans the area and still, no one is watching the exchange. It's perfectly convenient.  
  
"What do you want me to do?"  
  
"They're gone. And no one listens to me. Can we be friends...?"  
  
Taeyong stares blankly at the student before letting out a huff of disbelief. Friendship? Someone wants his friendship? Ridicilous.  
  
He turns around with a shake of his head and starts walking away, pushing the absurd interaction at the back of his head when a hand grabs his arm, halting his tracks. Taeyong whips around with an apparent annoyance marring his already scarred face.  
  
"Friends? Are you crazy? I don't even know you and apparently you were watching me get beaten up. Creep? Or a deranged spectator? Perhaps you're one of the lackeys. Get that hand off of me."  
  
"Taeyongㅡ"  
  
"I said take it off!"  
  
He doesn't even want to ask why the student knows his name. Because everyone knows who he is, despite being a nobody. He's that gay kid in school without a father. He's that ridiculously handsome gay kid who lost his father in an accident, which for some reason, the whole school population decided to conclude was his fault. It was easy to make up stories of how he was being a difficult child and caused his father to lose control of the wheels.  
  
Taeyong never bother to correct them.  
  
The boy lets go of his arm like it was doused in flames. For a second, he pities the other. He seemed genuinely hurt by the outburst.  
  
And some people are now looking at Taeyong from head to toe. They must think he's ruining the mood of grief. Right. He's still the weird one despite the other being a teary mess at the moment.  
  
"Don't touch me again."  
  
He stays there. He stays rooted on his spot staring at the student who finally meets his eyes. He's determined, not in any way deterred by the rejection.  
  
"My name's Jaehyun! Please, I don't have any other..."  
  
The boy's not ugly. In fact, he's incredibly attractive. His skin is a little too pale, his cheeks are soft and his eyes are sparkly. His lips are full and inviting. Taeyong frowns. How could someone like that be alone?  
  
"You're not kidding me." It's a statement welcoming no questions nor answers.  
  
Jaehyun, he finally has a name to put on a face, shakes his head firmly like a dog and bravely approaches Taeyong. His fingers twitch but he keeps them on his sides, fearing another outburst from Taeyong.  
  
"I swear!"  
  
Giving the boy another once over, Taeyong decides that a chance in normalcy won't hurt. Maybe he's finally going to have a taste of a normal life with the arrival of Jaehyun. The other's body language looks authentic anyway. If he's planning to ambush Taeyong, then the latter will know. He has their actions committed to memory by now.  
  
"I still don't trust you but I'll allow you to talk to me. I'll go now."  
  
Jaehyun doesn't follow him when he leaves the school. He continues to walk with his eyes forward, uncaring of everyone else around him.  
  
Though this time they all look at him as if he was crazy.  
  
Is it because he's not grieving? Is it because of his face? There should be nothing new to the sight of cuts here and there, as far as he's concerned. They see him get bullied more frequently than not.  
  
Huh. It must be due to his interaction with Jaehyun. Now they're going to think he's too dumb to deserve a friend. He'll wager for a possibility of another rumor tomorrow that goes along the lines of Lee Taeyong seducing a handsome student.  
  
Pathetic. They're crazier than him.  
  
  
  
  
  
"This is so stupid,"  
  
Taeyong finishes solving the last equation for his Math homework. They were given three pages of exercises to complete and he finished it under half an hour.  
  
He laughs sardonically at the thought of his classmates scratching their heads while trying to answer the second question. They're all airheads. Nothing but money in them.  
  
There's nothing left to do for the rest of the night and it's still early. The dishes are washed, the floor is clean and his sheets were changed.  
  
His mind automatically wanders to Jaehyun. Today was peculiar. Jaehyun appeared out of the blue desperate for his companion. For the first time, the students acknowledged his presence but their stares were malicious. Like he did something abnormal.  
  
Taeyong scoffs and chuks the empty bag of chips in the bin. He wonders how it's going to work with Jaehyun. How long is the other going to last? If he's that eager to be close to Taeyong, perhaps he shares the same difference...? _Is it why he said he was bullied? Is it why he craved Taeyong's acceptance? Because he's also different..._  
  
If it's the case, then he doesn't have the right to push Jaehyun away. Rather, he should keep the boy close. Taeyong is the only one he can relate to. Taeyong serves as an example that Jaehyun will survive his own battles. Jaehyun looks up to Taeyong with high regard.  
  
His heart drums at the thought. Jaehyun thinks highly of him, doesn't he? He had seen Taeyong stand up after the numerous physical assaults. Jaehyun must be watching from the sidelines. Jaehyun is the only one who noticed.  
  
Taeyong feels bad. Jaehyun suffered, too but Taeyong didn't know. He suddenly feels a strong urge to make sure Jaehyun's safe.  
  
Right. Taeyong will use the Death Note to take care of Jaehyun's bullies. Taeyong will take care of Jaehyun. He will be Jaehyun's friend.  
  
He will look for Jaehyun tomorrow. The school's quite big and it didn't enter his mind to ask Jaehyun's grade. Maybe he will be waiting by the tree again tomorrow? Taeyong sure hopes so.  
  
For now, he takes the Death Note out of its safety. Taeyong smiles before laying a kiss on it. He opens it to another page and begins thinking of the criminals he saw on the TV.  
  
It's unstoppable. The urge to give justice is prevalent. He thinks of the face of the criminals on the death row and wishes for the victims' relief and gratification. These spawns of Lucifer deserve to be punished. Taeyong will give them the worst kind of death; it will be slow and painful. They will suffer and wish they didn't give in to temptations.  
  
Two names stare back at him. These people will die in a few days, one earlier than the other. He won't raise suspicion; Taeyong doesn't kill relentlessly. He only does when it's necessary. The Death Note serves a more personal purpose. He took care of his three bullies but he feels like he needs to do this. Taeyong will share his blessing to the needy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Are you coming home right after school?"  
  
His mother picks up the empty plates while Taeyong checks the content of his bag. Once he's assured that nothing's missing, he zips it close and grabs the last apple on the counter, biting down on it with a juicy crunch.  
  
"Mhm," Taeyong confirms noncommitally.  
  
"I'll be doing the groceries. Do you want anything?"  
  
"More fruits. I'm going." Taeyong wipes his mouth and hurries outside, excited for once. He really hopes Jaehyun's waiting for him.  
  
  
  
  
  
The day drags on longer than usual. It looks like everybody has forgotten about the deaths of their schoolmates as quick as they jumped on the sympathy bandwagon. The girls go back to either gossiping or caking their faces, and the boys huddle in one corner discussing things the girls cannot relate to.  
  
Taeyong sits at the back row. His attention lingers out the window, over the field. No one is sitting under the shade of that one lone tree. It's only close to 1 in the afternoon so maybe Jaehyun is busy doing something else. They just met yesterday anyway. He can't be as eager as Taeyong, can he?  
  
He wants to laugh. Considering how they talked yesterday, one would think that Taeyong would be evasive.  
  
Some things just don't happen the way you expect them to.  
  
The bell rings, signalling the end of break and Taeyong grumbles under his breath. This is going to be a tedious day for Chemistry.  
  
The class begins right away without so much as a simple greeting from the teacher. She looks worn out from what Taeyong can deduce. The examination period is drawing near. It's not easy to formulate a hundred questions, especially when you aren't covering the span of lessons you're suppose to.  
  
Soon enough the green board is filled with formula. Taeyong goes over the start to end smoothly, having studied the lesson prior. Groans of protest fill the room as the teacher asks for a volunteer to solve a problem. No one raises their hand.  
  
"Fine. Lee Taeyong?"  
  
Said student perks up at the mention of his name. Without a doubt, Taeyong goes in front to confidently write down a solution. He puts the chalk down once he's done, ready to go back to his seat when an arm blocks his way.  
  
Taeyong looks at his teacher curiously.  
  
"Hmm," She scans the answer and nods. "Excellent. This one's pretty hard, I can say. Advanced. I wonder how you got that fast."  
  
_'I'm not dumb like the rest of this class'_ , Taeyong muses.  
  
She gives him a side glance and smirks. "Are you feeling arrogant, Taeyong? Because no one else can do it? Don't be too full of yourself, understood? You still have a lot to learn."  
  
_'Certainly not from you',_ Taeyong nods humbly before finally returning to his seat. She picks up where she left off as though she did not just humiliate him five seconds ago.  
  
Taeyong's fingers start to itch, eyes glued on her. She doesn't spare a look at his direction. Oh how Taeyong regrets not bringing the notebook to school. He'd _love_ to watch her fall wide eyed after a heart attack while the whole class shrieks in terror. What a stunning imagery.  
  
  
  
  
  
Twenty minutes.  
  
It's been twenty minutes since the last class was dismissed. Students walk here and there, bypassing him as though he wasn't there. So he lets himself watch them freely, observing.  
  
All of them are shallow beings. Not even one shares the same mindset as his. Taeyong likes to think of himself as one of a kind. It's nothing but the truth. That's mainly why he's treated poorly. But that's also why he's capable of doing something that the human mind will not be able to fathom.  
  
Are they this... _this_ nonchalant, careless? Aren't they wondering how all of a sudden, the people that reigned the hallways and made fun of him vanished on the same night? Was it that easy to arrive at the conclusion that all of it was just a coincidence?  
  
The stupidity was palpable. Of course. Humans like them are incapable of taking advantage of their brains. The families hired investigators, only to close the cases. Yuta was unfortunately spotted by a robber. Taeil was too sleepy to drive straight. Lucas was emotionally unstable. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except that Taeyong knows it's nothing ordinary.  
  
Twenty five minutes.  
  
Finally, Jaehyun arrives. He doesn't look apologetic if the wide, almost disturbing smile says so. Taeyong rolls his eyes and crosses his arms just as Jaehyun sits next to him.  
  
"You're late," It goes without saying, but he wants to let the other know not to make him wait next time. They didn't set a meeting, he's aware, but it's expected. Jaehyun wants to befriend him, right?  
  
Jaehyun has the audacity to look sheepish. "Sorry! I got held back. Did you wait for long?"  
  
_Duh_.  
  
"Almost half an hour. But it doesn't matter," Taeyong picks up his bag and stands in front of the student. He notes that some eyes are on him again. It's probably such a mindfuck to these airheads that he actually has someone to talk to. "Let's go."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
Jaehyun isn't carrying a bag. Huh. Rich enough to afford a locker?  
  
Taeyong cocks his head, gesturing the other to follow him. The stares linger as they walk together out of the school gates. The attention is starting to get under Taeyong's skin. They don't forget to hurl a last minute insult before he disappears completely from their sight.  
  
"It must be really annoying to deal with it everyday." Jaehyun says to start a conversation.  
  
"You would know, wouldn't you?" asks Taeyong, kicking a tiny rock on the way.  
  
Jaehyun doesn't answer right away. "Eh, you're right about that. I've seenㅡwitnessed too much about it. You can say I've had firsthand experiences."  
  
"I thought they beaㅡ"  
  
The taller student shrugs, waving a hand dismissively. "Ahuh, that's why I begged you to be friends with me! Because I relate to you. Although my case is more like....watching."  
  
Taeyong frowns, utterly confused. "Stop being cryptic.."  
  
A melodious chortle rings through the air. Jaehyun's voice is soothing and it seems to dull the pulsing pains on Taeyong's body.  
  
"Sorry, Taeyong. I just don't want to talk about it. I got bored being alone in the background, so I thought I'd talk to you."  
  
Realistic enough. Taeyong nods and continues his way home. Jaehyun doesn't ask where he's being led.  
  
What a trusting lad.  
  
Taeyong enters the apartment with Jaehyun in tow. His mother's at the kitchen, arranging the groceries.  
  
"I'm home,"  
  
She murmurs something, too occupied with stuffing the fridge to look at him. Taeyong glances at his companion before they both go upstairs, intending to stay in the former's room.  
  
  
  
  
  
"That's your mother?"  
  
"Yeah," Taeyong flings his bag on the bed and sits on the edge of it with Jaehyun next to him. "She cashiers in a convenience store part time. At night, she manages this online market."  
  
"I wanted to greet her but I felt that she wouldn't greet me back.."  
  
"She wouldn't, good thing you didn't. Notice how she didn't spare my presence a glance?" Taeyong gets off the bed to sit at his study desk. "Come here, I gotta show you something."  
  
Jaehyun doesn't waste a second. He stands behind Taeyong's chair and looms over as the latter pulls something out of a drawer.  
  
Jaehyun grins. "What, are you going to tutor me, nerd?"  
  
Taeyong clicks his tongue. "That sounds so much like Lucas." He opens the Death Note on the first page of rules.  
  
"But he's cold and festering six feet under." The morbid comment catches Taeyong offguard. Jaehyun only giggles and peers over his shoulder, humming as he scans through the rules. "You shouldn't be surprised considering you have something like this..."  
  
Taeyong clears his throat as well as his mind. "You may not believe me, but this is why those guys are gone."  
  
There is a lack of response from the other party, a cue for Taeyong to continue. "I found this on the school grounds. The person whose name is written in this notebook will die either of a heart attack or however you want them to take their last breath. See," Taeyong flips the page onto where a variety of names are. "I killed Johnny, my neighbor. I killed Yuta, Taeil and Lucas."  
  
His breath quickens and his heart lodges in his throat in anticipation. Jaehyun hasn't said anything. What if he thinks Taeyong's mad? What if he reports Taeyong to the police? Are they actually going to believe him? But the writings are too accurate to be a bluff.  
  
Fuck.

Perhaps showing Jaehyun the Death Note is the damnest deciㅡ  
  
"Taeyong, calm down. Breathe slowly. In, out.." Jaehyun guides him patiently. Taeyong shuts his eyes tight, gripping the edges of the desk as he works hard to stabilize his breathing. Tears blur his vision when they open before his forehead meets the surface of the notebook. His chest heaves and he barely registers Jaehyun's voice instructing him to breathe slowly. _In, out, in, out, in, out..._  
  
"Taeyong?"  
  
"I'm fine," Taeyong messily wipes at his eyes and sits straight. "Sorry, I... You weren't talking and I thought ㅡ I thought... It's _real_ , Jaehyun."  
  
"I believe you."  
  
Taeyong turns around and Jaehyun takes a step back before the former hits him. There's a gentle smile stretching across Jaehyun's pallid face but his eyes are blank.  
  
"I'm telling you it's real!"  
  
How can this be so easy? Jaehyun believes him...just like that? Taeyong just confessed to killing multiple people. And Jaehyun isn't freaking out?  
  
"And I'm telling you I believe you and I won't tell anyone, if that's what got you in a state of panic," Jaehyun sits down on the bed, arms wrapped around his legs. His eyes don't leave Taeyong and they twinkle with a twinge of life in them now. "Because that's what friends are for, right?"  
  
The pages of the Death Note flap with the gust of wind passing through the window. Taeyong takes in the sight of Jaehyun's smile and something clicks inside of him.  
  
Jaehyun is there. Jaehyun knows his secret. Jaehyun is smiling. Jaehyun is his friend.  
  
What did Taeyong do in his past life to meet someone like Jaehyun? He's unlike any other. If this was just another classmate, they would probably already be running down the street, screaming in fear. But Jaehyun is here. Jaehyun supports him.  
  
Why wouldn't he? Jaehyun benefited from it. The bullies left him too. If Taeyong didn't kill those three, would Jaehyun be brave enough to aproach him? Would Jaehyun even be alive?  
  
Taeyong looks at him, and he only realizes Jaehyun isn't looking exactly right back. His hand swats over his head.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Taeyong glances up, checking if mosquitoes swarm over his hair.  
  
Jaehyun giggles and shakes his head. "Nothing, Taeyong. Tell me more about the notebook?"  
  
"...Right." Jaehyun is odd. Taeyong sniffles and wipes the remnants of tears away before it makes him look even more pitiful.  
  
"You can manipulate the manner and time of death but there are limits to it. For example, if the cause of death is an illness, it depends on the illness whether it will kill the person in the allowed number of days. If not, it will not take effect."  
  
"Have you read all the rules yet?"  
  
"Yeah," Taeyong confirms. "But I'm yet to be an expert. Also, there's something that makes me wonder..."  
  
Jaehyun tilts his head. "What is it?"  
  
"The shinigami, or God of Death. It says here that the shinigami, former owner of this Death Note will appear within 39 days of my ownership. It hasn't been a month yet. But I wonder where it is..."  
  
"Are shinigamis real?"  
  
"They should be. This notebook is a sufficient evidence that the supernatural exists. It also says that they will have to be by my side until the day I die."  
  
Jaehyun's lips purses in thought before a sigh escapes him. "That's terrifying, no?"  
  
"It is," Taeyong agrees in a heartbeat. "But being left wondering how my God of Death looks like is more terrifying. I wonder if it looks hideous..."  
  
A burst of laughter startles Taeyong. Jaehyun falls on his back on the bed, shaking. "That's what's bothering you, Taeyong? Whaㅡ euhaha! ㅡyou're so silly!"  
  
A childish pout forms on Taeyong's face. He's feeling quite petulant at Jaehyun's reaction. "I've been waiting, okay! I want to thank it for choosing me. This notebook makes me feel on top of the world."  
  
"Eh? Don't be ridiculous," Jaehyun rolls on his flank, head perched on a hand. "I'm pretty sure anyone would've found it if you weren't quick enough."  
  
"But no one can use it as efficiently as I do! These people are stupid, Jaehyun. They will use this for triffling matters. I, on the other hand, have bigger plans. I'll get rid of the evil, starting on the people that hurt me. I already killed two criminals, see! I'll get rid of them and justice and fairness will prevail, just you wait."  
  
"If that's what makes you happy..." Jaehyun sits up and glances out the window, at the vast darkness of the evening sky. "Why did you show me that notebook? Are you not afraid that it will be taken from you?"  
  
"Are you going to take it?"  
  
Jaehyun grins. "Nope!"  
  
"Because I'm not afraid. And if someone hurts you, I'll write down their name. Because that's what friends are for."  
  
Taeyong feels proud of himself. He made a friend. There's someone he can fully trust, confide in, someone who will be there for him not to inflict pain but to offer kindness.  
  
He will do anything for Jaehyun.  
  
He turns back to the Death Note and hastily writes down a name. Jaehyun hops off the bed all too eagerly to take a look, gasping dramatically as he did so.  
  
"Who's that, Taeyong?"  
  
"My chemistry teacher. She's boastful and she thinks she's better than anybody. She humiliated me in front of the class."  
  
"That's so sad..."  
  
"And she will die in 29 seconds."  
  
The hands of the clock tick by. Both of them watch as the shorter hand strikes the number 8, and Jaehyun's wide eyes meet his.  
  
Another life is lost under the hands of Lee Taeyong.  
  
  
  
  
  
He can't wait to go to school. Most likely, all of them will be talking about the sudden death of a teacher. It's going to be even better once the medical records are out and she doesn't have any kind of heart ailment. It'll spook the life out of them. Well, she had been exhausted, right? They will take it as cardiac arrest.  
  
Taeyong dumps the utensils in the sink. "I'll go now!" He shouts loud enough for her to hear him in the bathroom.  
  
"Huh." Taeyong frowns at the fruit basket. Wasn't it filled again yesterday when he came home? "Mom!"  
  
The bathroom door opens, revealing his equally annoyed mother. She's running late to work and Taeyong is being quite a handful today. "What?"  
  
"Didn't you buy fruits? There are only two oranges and three green mangos here. I hate green mangos."  
  
"Then take an orange with you?"  
  
"You know I love apples!"  
  
The frown on his mother's face deepens as she looks inside the basket. "I thought you ate those already? When you came home?"  
  
Taeyong's eyes roll so hard. "I wouldn't be asking. Anyway, Jaehyun wanted to greet you yesterday but you didn't even welcome me home, at least."  
  
"Who's Jaehyun?"  
  
"My friend who came over! Mom, are you starting to forget things?" Taeyong playfully touches his mother's forehead, only for her to swat it away.  
  
"I didn't know someone came over?"  
  
"Of course you didn't know. You barely pay attention to me. What more to other people?" Taeyong grabs an orange and casts one last glance at her before rushing outside, missing the small pile of apple cores in the trash can by the gate.  
  
  
  
  
  
True to his suspicions, the school is in shambles once again. There's a framed picture of his teacher on the podium. Flower wreaths lined up on both sides of it and students and fellow teachers, as well as other school personnels took a short time to pray for her soul. Taeyong walks straight, not even planning to put up an act of paying respect to the dead.  
  
It's just a hilarious notion.  
  
"She's really dead!" Jaehyun appears out of nowhere, giving Taeyong a mini heart attack. He had whispered right at his ear so that no one will be able to hear him. "That notebook's powerful, Taeyong."  
  
"I know, and more of them will share the same fate if they don't mind their own business." Taeyong hisses. One student manages to hear him and gives him a scandalized look before scurrying away.  
  
Did she hear everything? There's no way that she'll conclude he was referring to the teacher. No way, she's one of those dumb kids.  
  
Jaehyun heartily titters. He's awfully excited, more so than Taeyong when he discovered the capability of the Death Note. Who wouldn't be happy watching the world be reborn into its better version without the humans who bore ill intentions? 

  
  
  
  
"ㅡgone insane, hasn't he?"  
  
"True! I saw him talk to himself this morning at the hallway. He doesn't even bother to hide it!"  
  
"Are you sure? Maybe he just lacks sleep. We sometimes murmur to ourselves, right?"  
  
"Nah, man. He's crazy."  
  
Taeyong grips the pencil so hard that his fingers start aching. They don't even bother to pretend they aren't talking about him. What's more eccentric, is the story they managed to make up. Being homosexual and a nerd are not enough, it appears. No one finds sick amusement about his sexuality and brain capacity anymore that they want to make him look crazy instead.  
  
He could let it go, but it's not fair to Jaehyun. They are basically pretending he does not exist. What a horrible joke to pull on somebody! What did Jaehyun even do to them?  
  
Oh, alright. This is why no one wants to be seen with him. They get dragged into his mess whether they like it or not. Those who show an ounce of interest in him inevitably play their game.  
  
Taeyong digs the lead of his pencil on the desk. It breaks with a soft crack. No one notices his inner turmoil.  
  
The gossips continue, and in no time they will be progressing into something bigger, something worse, something uglier by the end of the day. Every breath wasted in mumbling his name is fuel poured on fire.  
  
Fingers tighten beyond control around the pencil. It breaks in half. They still don't notice his inner turmoil. When his hand moves to delve into his bag, he hears the sound of shackles. He's chained, restrained. The Death Note is cold in his grasp. He had brought it to school today despite the danger.  
  
He's fearless. They should be the one to fear him. The hand releases the notebook and Taeyong keeps it in his bag. They shall not see it.  
  
He remembers the promise he made to himself. Anyone who hurts Jaehyun will suffer the consequences. Jaehyun has done nothing to his classmates but they are even involving him now just to hurt Taeyong.  
  
Taeyong won't let it go. They need to learn their lesson.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jaehyun sat next to him under the tree at the field when Taeyong wrote down the names of his classmates. He had torn a page from the notebook. The rule says that even a small piece of its paper has the full effect of the Death Note.  
  
Four new names were written down. Just like the bullies, Taeyong got a little creative about the causes of deaths so the pattern won't be disturbingly odd.  
  
A rush of victory surged through his bloodstream as he finished writing. Jaehyun smiled, arms wrapped around his folded legs. They didn't talk. They didn't need to. They communicate better in silence. They understood each other.  
  
  
  
  
  
It's close to the second month since Taeyong has found the supernatural notebook.  
  
The school community is starting to panic. They are greatly alarmed, horrified. More likely than not, according to the school newspaper, someone is invisibly attacking, harming their safety. Someone has penetrated the protection on their precious students.  
  
Investigation began. Suspicions concerning sabotage get immediately taken down. Everyone is innocent. Or so it seems.  
  
A cacophony of noises grates Taeyong's ears. They found time, amidst the clamor, to point fingers at him.  
  
_'You're stupid if you haven't noticed!'_  
  
_'All of them, they died after encountering him...'_  
  
_'Think about it!'o_  
  
_'It's ridiculous!'_  
  
_'He's killing themㅡ'_  
  
_'But how...?'_  
  
Taeyong shifts, crossing his legs. They don't have an evidence. They can search his house (one needs a high caliber of intelligence to discover the secret compartment in his drawer although if they do find it, the notebook will be burned by the time they take it out), interrogate his clueless mother, or torture him. He's nothing but a harmless high school student.  
  
_'His mother's a witch! She must have killed her husband, too. Now, her son's following her footstㅡ'_  
  
The desk topples over loudly, cutting off their frivolous chatter. Taeyong grabs his bag, losing the last thread of patience to last through the day.  
  
As he walks past the group that slandered his mother, Taeyong whispers.  
  
"Let's play, shall we?"

  
  
  
  
They notice him. They look, they whisper, they point. Their masks are gone, their blindness forgotten.  
  
The rumor reaches the administrators. Such preposterous information will not be heard. The source that the rumor rooted from is of a lesser intelligence, and no matter how they dirty Taeyong's image, he's still one of the best students, a hidden pride. Surely they won't choose a ridiculous mouth's side, right?  
  
In the end, he's going to win. Even from the start, his triumph had been determined.  
  
But it doesn't mean that Taeyong is not affected by their words. They still pain his little heart. How unfair. Did the Lord allow such inequity and thoughtlessness? Of all people, why was he chosen to suffer this?  
  
When he dies, he expects to enter the gates of heaven despite the Death Note's rule stating otherwise. The saints and the angels shall understand his arrival. His actions reflect his person. The murders were fair and just. They were the consequence of the evil's plans. He countered them. He stopped them. If anything, he's a hero.  
  
God should thank Taeyong for doing his job. Taeyong did what he, an omniscient and omnipotent legend should've done.  
  
The degree of Taeyong's power is almighty. Shall he be called the new god? Perhaps, the God of the new world?  
  
He can't die yet, though. He has so many things to do. He has so many names to write. He will empty this school of bullies and gluttons for gossip, then he will go for the most wanted criminals. Taeyong shall be generous and hand over the justice that this rotten world refuses to give.  
  
Jaehyun meets him every lunch break or at the end of the day. They discuss further plans. One by one, Taeyong writes the name of anyone who dares look at him with malice. They gradually lessen. Every other day, the school community mourns over a student's death. They lose lives more than they keep. Parents have been pulling out their children. The administrators are frantic. Their reputation is destroyed.  
  
_'Serves them right'_ , Taeyong thinks to himself. A few feet away from him, an upperclassman collapses down the stairs, blood squirting out of his head.  
  
Taeyong crumples the ripped paper from the Death Note placed in between the pages of a textbook and closes it before joining the crowd of students looking over the unconscious body.  
  
They don't notice him.  
  
Taeyong leaves, with Jaehyun snickering in tow. He laughs at whatever Jaehyun has whispered to his ear.  
  
They notice him.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm home,"  
  
Taeyong announces as he steps out of his shoes. His mother lounges on the sofa with a wad of receipts spread on the coffee stable. She smiles at the sight of him and waves dismissively.  
  
"Go change. You can go down later for dinner."  
  
The dark bags under her eyes are hard to miss. They seem to carry heavier load as each day passes. She doesn't say anything more as Taeyong heads to his room with Jaehyun.  
  
"She looks exhausted," Jaehyun sits on the bed and wiggles his feet as he leans back, hands braced on the mattress. "Is that normal?"  
  
"It'll shock me if she doesn't have those worry lines on her face." Taeyong drops his bag next to the study desk and plops on the chair with a heavy sigh. His head lols back and his eyes catch Jaehyun's glued on him. They hold a staring contest for a few seconds before Taeyong speaks, monotonous.  
  
"They call me crazy. Said my head got so much beating that I'm hallucinating," Taeyong's neck strains. His fingers twitch on his stomach, lightly clutching the fabric of his vest. "They won't stop talking no matter how hard I try to eliminate them."  
  
"That sucks..." Jaehyun picks at a hangnail and bites it off. "Why don't you just write all of them down at once?"  
  
"That's highly suspicious." Taeyong frowns.  
  
A shrug is what he gets from his friend. Taeyong sits up and massages the back of his neck, groaning. "And I'm not a mass murderer."  
  
"Sure, you're not."  
  
Taeyong rolls his eyes and heads to his closet to get changed. He doesn't care about the burning stare on his back as he strips off his uniform and puts on a pair of faded shirt and sweatpants. "You're not helping, Jaehyun. In fact, you're making it worse."  
  
Jaehyun squeaks. "Eh? How so?" The skin between his brows crease and his lower lip juts into a pout.  
  
Taeyong glowers from where he stands. "You are aware that they don't stop talking about me and fuelling these rumors because they're bullying you too, right? Saying you're nothing but air," He walks towards the desk, about to retrieve the notebook. "Now they're much too serious about it."  
  
"Acutely!"  
  
A siren echoes outside. Specifically right in front of their house. Taeyong pokes his head out the window and spots a police car. Three officers hop out and his mother exits the house to talk to them.  
  
Taeyong hisses. "Fuck."  
  
"Whatㅡwhy?"  
  
He starts pacing, one hand on his hip while he chews on the thumb of the other. Rack, rack, rack his brain for the possible ending of this night is what he does before they come up to his room. The police bought their farcical assumptions? They must be desperate to blame everything on someone. And he's the easiest target.  
  
A series of knock raps on his door.  
  
"Taeyong, honey? Open up..."  
  
There's no way out. Taeyong shoots a look at Jaehyun before wrenching the door open. Three uniformed men welcome his sight aside from his mother. Taeyong tilts his head and takes note of the strangers at the back.  
  
"What is this?"  
  
His mother explains. She sounds like she's about to break. Ah, so the others are the complainantsㅡparents of the victims. Their expressions are hard.  
  
"I won't resist. Do you have a search warrant?"  
  
They have it. Taeyong takes a step aside to let all of them in.  
  
They begin their search. Taeyong is idle at the corner, fighting the urge to tremble in anger. He perfectly masks himself. He's calm, but slightly worried. His eyes are wide with confusion.  
  
The officers rummage his closet, peek under the bed, remove his sheets and undress his pillows. They empty his bag. They inspect his desk.  
  
Taeyong starts to sweat. His hands start to shake so he slips them in the pockets of his sweatpants. He tries to ignore the belittling scowls at his direction.  
  
One officer checks his drawer. It's empty. His hand pats inside just to be certain before closing it. Taeyong releases a breath.  
  
Another officer kindly asks him to raise his arms. He pats down his body, palming for anything that is possibly hidden. They did the same to his mother. Taeyong's eyes dart over Jaehyun, and mentally scoffs for the fact that he's being ruled out of this. Aren't they suppose to check every individual in a suspected area?  
  
His blood boils. It's so unfair.  
  
"Alright, it's clean. You will be asked for a further investigation within this week. Perhaps, you can help in another way."  
  
His mother sees them out. Taeyong hurriedly closes the door with his back pressed on it, chest heaving. Dark, blown eyes are cast down, hidden by his fringe.  
  
"That was close, Taeyong!"  
  
He doesn't speak for a whole minute. Taeyong takes in Jaehyun's presence in the room and the searing anger only churns inside of him.  
  
"Taeyong?"  
  
"I'm so tired..." Taeyong huffs. He stalks to the window and harshly pulls the curtains close once the police car disappears from his vision. "I'm so fucking tired, Jaehyun."  
  
Jaehyun watches in confusion, and things dawn on him when Taeyong pulls out the Death Note from its confinement. He lets out an airy laugh. "Don't tell me you're going to put your name there..."  
  
"No, idiot." Taeyong opens the notebook on a clean page and clicks his pen.  
  
"Good. Because that would be fruitless, considering you don't have much time left."  
  
The pen hovers over the paper. Taeyong looks over at Jaehyun and scowls. "What nonsense?"  
  
He notices Jaehyun's line of sight, where it stops on the space over his head. "You crackpot, you're mad. You're the reason they keep talking about me." Taeyong takes a few steps back as Jaehyun advances towards him in slow, deliberate steps. His grip on the pen and the notebook constricts. "If I can't kill them all, then I have no choice but to get rid of you instead, Jaehyun. They think I'm crazy!"  
  
Jaehyun stops moving. Taeyong snatches the boy's nametag and hastily writes Jaehyun's name on his Death Note, his vision clouded with tears as he draws the last stroke.  
  
Taeyong looks up at his friend, the only one who was brave enough to engage with him. Jaehyun's gaze lingers over Taeyong's head and they both stand in silence, mentally counting down.  
  
At last, Taeyong will go back to his old life. Unnoticed and unimportant. Jaehyun will be gone, and he will treasure the memories he made with the other. Jaehyun has become precious to him but Jaehyun...soft and happy Jaehyun has to go. If it means peace and quiet, if killing Jaehyun's the way to prevent more malevolence from drawing near him and possessing the rest, then he shall go.  
  
10 seconds left. Taeyong drops the notebook as tears cascade down his face.  
  
_Jaehyun, thank you...and good bye._

  
  
  
40 seconds flew by. Taeyong stops crying as he gapes in front of him where Jaehyun still stands, smiling.  
  
"Howㅡ"  
  
Jaehyun turns his head and studies the calendar hanging on the wall. "Taeyong, 39 days is long over. Do you not wonder about your shinigami? How irresponsible of him to not come for you within the given time."  
  
"Why are youㅡ you're supposed to be dead!" Taeyong screams, picking up the notebook to write Jaehyun's name again. Jaehyun giggles and turns back to him.  
  
"No matter how many times you write my name, you can't kill a shinigami."  
  
Taeyong's heart jumps up his throat, threatening to burst out of him. He violently trembles in gut-wrenching fear. His peripheral vision catches a glimpse of the full length mirror where it reflects him in the room, and no one else.  
  
Jaehyun does not exist to anyone else.  
  
"Look at you, so scared. I thought you were different, Taeyong. But you're just the same. Well, I admit! You were quite entertaining at first with all your strict sense of justice that turned out to be self-centered." Jaehyun gesticulates as he talks, but Taeyong only focuses on the studentㅡor rather, God of death opposite him.  
  
"But all the fun only lasts for long. We've reached the end." Jaehyun smiles, all soft and endearing as he produces a Death Note of his own. His eyes peer on top of Taeyong for a second before he elicits a sigh, opening the notebook. "A minute. Could've chosen someone with a longer lifespan, but shinigamis can't be choosy. We aren't even allowed to drop a notebook in the human world! I was just really stubborn."  
  
Taeyong drops on the floor, falling on his butt as Jaehyun writes on his notebook. He's paralyzed and he wants to scream, to call for his mother's help but in that moment, his body's forced to shut down and take what's about to happen.  
  
He's going to die. Jaehyun, his one and only friend is Taeyong's killer.  
  
"At least it's me who gave you the final justice you deserve, Taeyong. Because that's what friends are for, right?" Jaehyun crouches in front of him and reaches out, his rough fingers touching Taeyong for the first time. They wipe away his salty tears before lapping at it, grimacing at the taste.  
  
"This is why I only like apples!"  
  
Taeyong's mind blanks. Jaehyun giggles, perpetually happy as he reaches the last seconds of his life.  
  
Taeyong's chest constricts. Taeyong gasps. Taeyong's heart stops. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> This actually has an alternate ending, although it will still involve someone's demise.


End file.
